Vending machine



Nov. 8, 1927.

O. N. KELLY VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l 6 I 7- H 5 1Z f .6 w 4 if fl m .0 7, f T Mm m1 9 4 4 r i 5 m 6 a Z 7 L 8 2 J V. m

Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,734

. o. N. KELLY VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 2 7 60// Q 28 E Jl :1 g 5 61 J6 J5 wine x 5.

Nov. 8, 1927.

O. N. KELLY VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 1720671301 0:15am 1 Kay Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORSON N. KELLY, 0]? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VENDING i Application filed February This invention relates to vending machines, and has for its object a machine adapted to contain commodities such as pie, cake, sandwiches, box lunches, chewing gum and the like, and responsive to a coin of proper denomination bein placed in such machine, and in exchange for such coin to dispense a commodity.

The invention has for a further object the provision of a machine which is practically slug-proof and which will operate when a coin of proper denomination is received by such machine to discharge a commodity regardless of the fact that a slug has previous ly been inserted in the machine. This is an important object for the reason that the ordinary vending machines now on the market, as a rule, when a slug has been inserted in the coin-receiving chute and an attempted operation of the machine'is made, upon the insertion of a proper coin the machine will refuse to operate, but as a rule will retain the coin.

Another object is the provision of a vending machine which is so constructed and formed that it is impossible to withdraw commodities from the machine by the insertion of wires 01' other objects through the commodity chute for the purpose of attempting to obtain such commodity or commodities without payment therefor.

Among other objects are simplicity of construction, inexpensiveness, practically a toolproot machine, and one which will give continuous satisfactory service without much attention.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and use ful provision formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as detailed in a certain embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described generally and more particularly pointed out in claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved vending machine:

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the inachine with the back removed to show the coin chutes:

Figure 3 is a rear elevation oi the vending machine with the back in place;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on the line- 4- of Figure 2;

Figur 5 is a fragmentary vertical trans MACHINE.

14, 1925. Serial No. 9,129.

verse sectional view of the vending machine and on an enlarged scale from the showing of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the said view be ing taken on the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figures (8 7. 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are fragmentary detail views of the coin-controlled commodity operating means in various positions of service and showing the etlects of receiving a slug, then receiving a proper coin upon such means;

Figures 9 and 10 are enlarged views partly in section and showing operationof the coincontrolled commodity operating means to discharge a commodity from the vending machine; and,

Figure 11 is an enlarged face view of the coin-receiving slot member.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the dra wiugs, the improved vending machine is designated as an entirety and in one embodiment by A, and such device includes a su1table casing member a the size of which is not important, as it may be formed to bestaccommodate the comu'iodity to be dispensed from the machine. However, in the embod iment of the device shown in the drawings, I have preferred to show the casing as adapted to house small pasteboard cartons I) in individual compartments 1, 2 and 3 in such casing. and which cartons may contain such cdibles as sandwiches, pie, cake, et cetera. The embodiment of the invention might be such as to hold various flavors of chewing gum such as the well-known lVrigley spearmint, double mint, licorice, P-K and the like, in separate compartments, so that when a proper coin is inserted in the vending machine any one of such gums might be dis pensed to the purchaser. In the embodiment of the machine shown, I have illustrated the vending machine as adapted to dispense pastcboard cartons containing an edible, and the said casing a includes a base member 4. a back a top member (5. and curved members 7 and 8 associated with sides 9 and 10. As illustrated in Figures 1. and 5 the curved members 7 and 8 are spaced from the top and between the top member 3 and a cross-piece 11 which extends between the sides 9 and 10. is a hinged door 12 provided with glass or like panel portions 13. The number of panel portions will depend upon the munber of compartment ithin the ens ing, and in the instant case there would be 8, and the curved front 8 is spaced; from the base; as shown. at 15. The back memlver 5. extendsiabove the topmember 6. asshown in: the: figures and for reasons which will presently appear; A sub-back member 16. is likewise provided and. this sub-back member acts to maintiain. the. commodity within the various compartments so that when the back 5 is: removed? access may not be had to such commodity.

In Figure 2 the back. 5 has been'memoved and it: will be seen that; there are provided. in such figure three coin-receiving chutes designated generally by These coin-receiving chutes are identical-of: formation and the number thereof will depend entirely upon the number of chambers for difierent forms of commodities. There may be one of such chutes or there may be many. Considering one of such chute-s0 it will be noted that the same extends along the sub-back member terminating at one end adjacent the top sur face of the top 6 as shown at 17, and that the opposite end communicates with a coincontrolled commodity opcratingmeans designated generally by (Z. The back member carries upon that portion which is normally above or partially above, the top (5', a coin.

slot-receivingmember c which includes in the embodiment shown a fixed plate member 18 and a movable plate member 19 within the fixed plate member. the fixed plate member being formed with one or more coin-receiving openings 20, as is likewise the movable plate 19 as indicated at 21 A finger-piece 22 is associated with the movable plate 19, and is passed through a slot in the fixed plate 18. The openings are of a size sufiicient to justaccommodate a coin of a certain denomination, and when a proper coin has been received within such opening; it will.].ikewise be received within the opening 21 of the movable plate, and upon moving the fingerpiece 22, the opening 21in the plate 19 will bring the coin into registration with the upper portion of one of the coin-receiving chutes 0 and the coin will then be direct ed through such chute to the means rl.

Reference to Figure 5 will show that there is likewise provided" within the casing; a sub-base member 24 normally above the base 4, and that this sub-base member extends transversely of the casing and between the The. curved front 7 is hingedly associated: as shown. at 1 Wltl]. the "front sides thereof and communicate with a com modity delivery chute Attention is again directed to the fact that only one com-receiv ing chute, one commodity-containing chain-v her, and one commodlty delivery chute 35 being'described, as such elements would. be the same for any remaining chambers of the device, it being understood of (ours c that titions wouldbe provided as shown in if ure 4. at 25 and 26 between the diilerent conr modity containing chan'ibcrs and con'miodity delivery chutes.

The coin-controlled commodity operating means (Z is called forthe reason that when a proper coin is received by such means. the same is placed in a position to engages commodity which is: to be discharged through the discl'iarge chute f. The means Z includesinthe embodiment shown a lever 27. formed at one end with a coin-receiving pocket orhead 28 and at the opposite end with a commodity engaging head'il Such lever is pivotally carried on a pin 30 at a certain distance between the heads 28 and 29, and which pin'is associated with or carried by a carriage member 31. The carriage member includes a block or plate'car ricd on a rod 32, which rod extends transversely of one of the chambers for holding: a: commodity and issupported on guides The guideswould either be secured to one of the sides: or both of the sides or carried by the partitions 25 and '26, as of course would. be obvious. The construction is such as to permit the said carriage to. be drawn from adjacent the sub-back 16 to ard the curved front of the casing ontoward the commodity delivery chute Normallythe commodity engaging head would he of greater weight than the coin-receiving pocket if the lever was pivoted intermediate such portions. Iliowever, if not so pivoted intermcdiate the heads, the pivotal Zone would be s-uchas to at all times move the coin-receiving pocket to aposition adjacent the coinreceiving chute so that any coin delivered through such cl-iutcwould' be received. in such coin-receiving pocket, and the weight of suchcoin would be suificicnt to cause a downward travel of that portion of the lever bearingthe coinn eceiving pocket and an upward movement of the commodity engaging": head: similar to that illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. the normal position of the lever heixuq substantially as shown in- Figure l t is intended that the said lever should be so balanced that a coin of a certain wens h issutih cient to tip the lever as aforesaid, but a coin of lEf'SQP' weight will not produce a full er;- cursion of the lever. By full e:-:cursion meant such a movement as would permit the commodity engaging head 29 to engage a commodity. The excursion of the lever. however, is in a measure limited by a member 8% carried by the block or plate forming a portion of the carriage member 31. In other words, this part 34. may be a wire loop or the like which will limit the upward travel of the commodity engaging head, as well as limiting the downward travel thereof. The said commodity engaging hcad notched as shown at 35, and when a coin is received in the coin-receiving pocket 29 the notch 35 will be brought into a position adjacent the top surface of the sub-base 24 and Slightly above the same. The subback 16 cut away as shown at 36 so as to permit the means (I with its carriage to extend through the same and so that the said means (I may be in such a position as to be adjacent the coin-receiving chute at its lower end. The cut-away portion 36 of the sub back also includes a cut-away portion for the commodity engaging head 29 when it is tipped upwardly as illustrated in Figure 6. The coin-receiving pocket 28 comprises two spaced members 37 and 38, one of which, 37, is substantially circular in outline, while the other is cut away on a chord, as shown at 39, and such portions 37 and 38 are spacedly joined together where they connect with the lever 27, as illustrated at -10 and openly spaced apart for the remaining distance so that any object received in such pocket, that is, between the portions 37 and 38 would not be retained between said portions. However, when the lever 27 is in the position, as illustrated, for instance, in Figure 6 in dotted lines, the two spaced portions 37 and 38 are in such a position that a coin will be received between the same from the coin-receiving chute c and such coin is prevented movement of the carriage carrying the lever.

In the embodiment shown. and assuming that-a proper coin has been delivered through the chute into the pocket of the lever to tip the lever into the full line position of Figure 6. the commodity-engaging head will he brought upwardly as illustrated in such tigurc and if the 'arriage were then moved inwardly of the casing n the notch 85 of the commodity-cngaging head would engage the top surface of the sub-base and ride thereon, and if any commodity cartons 7) were within the compartment such commodity-engaging head would engage against a side or end as 44 of the commodity carton and push the same forwardly and from beneath other members of such commodity cartons as illustrated in Figure to such a position that the commodity carton would be tipped sutlicientlv to deliver the same through the commodity delivery chute f and outward through the space between the parts 4: and

8 of such casing. This function of drawing the means (i forwardly or within the casing a is accomplished through the medium of a commodity operating lever g and which lever extends through a transverse bore in the part 8 to where it is associated with the carriage member 31. An outward pull upon a finger-piece 45 mounted exterior of the casing a and upon the operating lever 9 will slide the carriage member 31, including the rod 32 carried on the guides 33, forwardly of such casing, and a distance sutlicient to permit the ready discharge of a commodity from the casing a. The sub-base member is slotted as illustrated in Figure l at 46, so that the commodity engaging head will partially project through the slot 46 with the walls forming the notch engaging the top surface of such sub-base until a further cutaway portion 47 is reached, whereupon the commodity-engaging head will no longer contact with such top portion of the subhase but will drop through such cut-away portion 47, and into a substantially horizontal position or the position as illustrated in Figure 8. The cut-away portion 47 is at a distance sullicient to assure a full discharge of a commodity through the commodity delivery chute The said commodity operating lever f/ is spring-actuated in one direc tion; that is to say, a curved spring as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5 at 48, is connected wit-h the base 1- as illustrated at 4:9 and with the carriage member 31 as illustrated at 50, and when the commodity operating lever has made a full excursion, which would be an excursion sutlicicnt to allow the conimodity-engaging head of the lever 27 to drop through the slot 17, the spring would be-in an extended position as illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 10 in dotted lines at 51, and a releasing of the finger-piece 45 would immediately allow the spring to rc-act, the top portion of the commodit'y-engaging head would bcbcncath the sub-base and the means (I would. under actuation of the spring, be again brought to a position where it communicated with the coin-receiving chute 0. To assure that the commodity-engaging head will pass through the cut-away portion 47 or in case the commodity-operating lever 7 is not moved 'a sutficient distance so that the connnodity-cugaging head 29 reaches the cut-away portion 47, that the said lever be tipped to a horizontal position as illustrated in Figure 8, after a commodity has been discharged. 1 have provided a member 52 which may comprise a bent wire spring at all times adapted to engage a portion of the lever '27 adjacent the coin-receiving pocket 28, as illustrated in Figure 8 at 53. The coin guard 41 is of relatively short width and of a width just sutlicient to hold the coin within the pocket until the commodity-engaging head has its notched portion in lltl engagement with the top surface of the subbase, whereupon reaching the termination of such coin guard any coin received in such pocket will be permitted to roll from such pocket or fall therethrough and. on to a coin discharge chute 54: into a coin tray 55.

Placed between the part 7 ot the casing and a portion of commodity chute c is a hinged door h, the door being hinged to the part 7, as illustrated at 56, and normally the lower edge of such door will contact with the comn'iodity chute as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. When a coinniiodity is in the act of being discharged through the commodity chute f it will be noted that the door will be tipped upwardly as illustrated in Figure in full lines. There is likewise provideda counter j having an arm 5'7 in the path of movement of the connnodity being discharged so that the number of cartons of the commodity discharged. can be ascertained. After the commodity has been dis charged through the space 15. the door 72, will swing back ,intothe position illustrated in. dotted lines, and it is obvious that any one attempting; to reach up through the space in an attempt to reach the commodities within the commodity chambers will be prevented from doing so by said door as the door can move in one direction only, outwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The operation, uses and advantages of the vending machine are as follows:

Assume that the vending machine appears as substantially as shown in Figure 1 with commodities in each of three chambers as illustrated at 1, 2 and 3. A proper coin, say a ten cent piece is inserted in the coinreceiving opening of the member 0, the finger-piece 22 moved, and the coin delivered through one of thecoin-receiving chutes 0 where it contacts with the coin-controlled commodity operating means, tipping the lever constituting a portion of the same to where the commodity-engaging head is in a position to engage a carton containing one of such commodities. Outward movement of the commodity operating lever 9 will then discharge one of the commodities through the commodity discharge chute f, a com modity within the commodity chamber directly above such con'n'i'iodity discharged is retained in the commodity chamber due to the fact that the piece 11 ot the casing will contact with a side thereof as illustrated at 58 to hold the comn'iodity in position and prevent its discharge along with a commodity being moved from beneath the same. The commodity being discharged, as illustrated in will swing the door 0utwardly, contact with the counter lever 57, be discharged through the opening 15, and a releasing ot the commodity operating member Will allow a restoration of the lever 27 into a position substantially as shown in Fi ure 2.

Assume now that a slug of say the diameter of a ten cent piece and? made of aluminum is inserted through the coin-receiving chute; the said: slug will be received in the coin-receiving pocket but being lighter than the ten cent piece, the pocket end; of the lever 27 will not be moved downwardly due to the greater weight of the head 29 or the position of the pin 30, and an outward pull upon the commodity operating ever 9 would only cause the commodity-engaging head to pass beneath the sub-base 24: and no commodity would be discharged from the commodity chamber. Suppose now that a ten cent piece were placed in the chute. The ten cent piece would contact with a portion of. the periphery of the slug and its weight plus that of the shi would of course tip the lever downwardly, as. illustrated in Fig. 13, the said slug being indicated by dotted lines. In this instance it is to be noted that the peripl'iery ot the slug, if it; is of the same diameter as a ten cent piece, is slightly above the cut-away portion 39 of the portion 38 of such coin-receiving pocket, with the result that the ten cent piece as shown in Fig. 1 1- and designated as is not received Within the pocket. This position is also illus- :rated in Fig. 14. It now the operating lcver is pulled outwardly the notched portion 3:") ot the commodityengaging head will engage the top surface of the sub-base 24: and be in a position to engage side of the commodity carton b, and upon such outward movement of the commodity operating lever the ten cent piece 59 will slide off the slug and be dropped on, to the coin guard as illustrated in Fig. 15 at 60, to where it may be recovered either by the same striking the chute 54 and falling into the tray or drop ping upon the base 4. In other words, a slug will operate the machine only when the slug fails to roll. off of the coin receiving pocket and when a coin of proper denomination and weight is then received upon. such slug to operate the means (Z, and it is of course obvious that the slug would roll from v the pocket member and on to the chute 54; and into the tray. Thus impairment of the machine due to using slugs will ordinarily not result.

The different members of the casing may be securely locked in any approved manner, the back 5 may be secured by means of any form of Yale lock or padlock or the like, as may the glass enclosed front of the vending machine, and the part 7 may be locked by passing a pin 61 through aligned openings in the parts 7 and 11, as shown in Fig. 5 it being noted that said pin is not accessible except by opening the glass front It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in practicing the invention, in departure from the particular showing, without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters latent:

1. In a vending machine, a commodity chamber formed with a slotted base, a slidable carriage under said base, a lever pivoted on said carriage transversely of the coinmodity chamber and comprising a commodity engaging head at one end and a coin pocket at its opposite end, the lever normally lying rearward of the commodity chamber and tiltable when a coin is received within the pocket to bring the conr modity engaging head in alignment with the slot in the base and in rear of the lowermost commodity in the chamber, means tor sliding the carriage and lever forward so that the commodity engaging head will move in the base slot and engage and eject the lowermost commodity from the chamber, the. coin pocket being open to permit the escape of a coin, and a guard for retaining the coin within the pocket and permitting escape thereoit during the "forward movement of the carriage.

2. In a vending machine, a commodity chamber formed with a slotted base, a slidable carriage under said base, a lever pivoted on said carriage and comprising a notched commodity engaging head at one end and a coin pocket at its other end, a coin chute, the lever normally lying rearward oi the commodity chamber with its coin pocket in the path of the coin chute and tiltable when a coin is received within the pocket to bring the notch in the commodity head in alignment with one edge of the slot in the base and the commodity head at the rear of the lowermost commodity in the chamber, the coin pocket being open at one side, a guard adjacent the open side of said pocket to retain the coin within the pocket, means for sliding the carriage and lever forward so that the notch of the commodity engaging head will ride upon the edge of the slot of the base and the said head will engage and eject the lowermost commodity from said chamber, while the coin in said pocket will pass beyond said guard and drop from the pocket, means for swinging said lever back to its normal position and its commodity engaging head below said base, and means for subsequently moving the carriage back to its normal position.

3. In a vending machine, a commodity chamber formed with a base provided with a slot therein, on which base the lowermost. commodity in the chamber rests. a *arriage mounted to slide forwardly and backwardly under said base, a. lever pivotally mounted on'said carriage and formed with a notched cominodity-engaging head on one end and with a coin recei'ving pocket on its other end, a coin chute, said carriage normally resting with its lever rearwardly of said commodity chamber and with said coin-receiving pocket under said coin chute, said lever being constructed and arranged so that when said coin pocket receives a coin from said chute the lever will be swung by the coin into such position that the notch in said commodity-engaging head will align with one edge of said slot in said base and the commodity head will rest at the rear of the lowermost commodity in said chamber, means for drawing said carriage and lever forwardly so that the commodity-engaging head will extend through said base slot and the notch in said commodity-engaging head will receive one edge of said base slot and said commodity head will engage and eject the lowermost commodity from said chamber, means for retaining the coin within said pocket until said commodity-engaging head is drawn into said chamber and the notch in said head has received the edge of said base slot, means tor swinging said lever back to its normal position and its commodity engaging head below said base when the commodity has been ejected by said head, and means for subsequently moving the carriage back to its normal position.

t. In a vending machine. a commodity chamber formed with a base provided with a slot therein, on which base the lowermost commodity in. the chamber rests, a carriage mounted to slide forwardly and backwardly under said base, a lever pivotally mounted on said carriage and formed with a notched commodity-engaging head on one end and with a coin-receiving pocket on its other end, a coin chute, said carriage normally resting with its lever rearwardly of said commodity chamber and with said coin-receiving pocket under said coin chute, said lever being constructed and arranged so that when said coin pocket received a coin from said chute the lever will be swung by the coin into such position that the notch in said c0mm0dity-engaging head will align with one edge of said slot in said base and the commodity head will rest at the rear of the lowermost commodity in said chamber, means for drawing said carriage and lever forwardly so that the commodity-engaging head will ex tend through said base slot and the notch in said commodity-engaging head will receive one edge of said base slot and said commodity head will engage and eject the lowermost commodity from said chamber, means for limiting the movement of the lever under the weight of a coin in the pocket to such position that should another coin be dropped through said chute it would rest upon the coin in the pocket with its upper portion in the lower end of the chute, the upper edge of the rear Wall of the pocket being cut away to allow the lever to be drawn 1o1'- wardly and said other coin to drop behind the lever, means for retaining the efi'eeti've coin in said pocket until said commodityengaging head is drawn into said chamber and the notch in said head has received the edge of said base slot, means for swinging said lever back to its normal position and its eonnnodity-engaging head below said base when the commodity has been ejected by -16 said head, and means for subsequently 1noving' the carriage back to its normal position. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ORSON N. KEELEY. 

